Use to have a gopro a long time ago (1st gen) but I do not want to go that route. I have a digital camera that does not get used much since I finally got a smart phone (finally was cheaper to get 1 plan with my wife than for my old slide phone) so I was thinking about mounting my old camera onto the roll bar. Just wanted to see some homemade miata solutions. i know there are a lot floating around the net but I do not trust the safety of some of those set ups.

 

I would make something like this contour .
I have the same mount, only because i got it for cheap. Anyways, there are some good ideas that should give you a good start. GL

 

You digital camera and phone probably arent going to have as good image stabilization software as a go pro/contour/replay xd/etc. So you'll normally end up with a shaky or wavy nausea fest that sounds like you're inside a typhoon.

 

I splurged $50 on a manfrotto rollbar mount. That thing isn't going anywhere and it's stable as hell.

 

There's no reason to go diy with the plethora of solutions readily available out there.


I bought a cheap superclamp: http://www.adorama.com/LTPC.html?gcl...FY1QOgodEGMAyA

and then a cheap head to mount it: http://www.adorama.com/BG3025.html

My head is similar but it cost like another $10 on amazon or something.

That was back in 2004/5 and I still use it today. Back then you couldn't google "roll bar camera mount" and come back with like 700+ results or mounts under $50.

 

I'm willing to bet that the majority of videos you see from inside cars lack IS (including the GoPro/Countor/etc.)

Oh you said software:

 

You can compare my shakey mess of cell phone vids to my actually viewable go-pro vids. I dont have the ability to do software IS in post, I'm sure its possible. The software IS in the go pro does a good job.

 

use the same gopro cineform studio software -- a free download.

the gopro doesnt have IS. And any on the market that do are just digital stabilizations that dont do a great job.


hell even YT has a stabilization feature when you upload videos to it.

Hell I made this video 7 years ago using the mount I described above:



While the rattle is annoying, the video is not plagued with a "shaky or wavy nausea fest", even with a fairly cheap Kodak PNS camera.

or with a DSLR:




maybe you need better shocks?

or add in a bushing:

 

I liked this one better.

 

Dat bass hit.


absolutely shocked you didnt link this:

 

Jesus christ, my ears are bleeding.

 

Have you ever tried the YT image stabilization. Its like the world is stretching in awkward places. I've never tried the IS in the gopro cineform thing, that program is a piece. The IS built into the firmware of the camera is more than sufficient.

 

from what I gather there's no IS in the gopro, but I could be wrong, I don't own one, but I couldn't find anything that said it did.

I've seen plently of gopro videos that appear to not have it.

 

I'm not going to use my phone.

But I have had better sound quality/picture with digital cameras than with the gopro. Better low light also.

 

gopro does not have image stabilization, Its just in the software package.
Just about any decent, modern, point-and-shoot camera can shoot video like a gopro, they just may not have as wide of a lens. They just want you to think it has unholy abilities with their intensely post-processed, stedicam shot commercials that were probably not even shot with gopros.
IMO, the gopro is nice because of its housing and low weight.

When it comes to something like in-car video, I would rather have a big/heavy camera because its mass is going to help it dampen vibration. A little bit of sorbothane helps eliminate the high frequency vibrations that cause "jello".

 

I hate youtube's image distortion from the "shake removal".

 

That pic of the old Nikon SLR is on the I/O Port racing mount.
Not cheap, by any means at $115, but it's a damned fine piece.

Adjustable as hell. Large mounting pad for the camera.

If I could edit my videos, I'd post up an example.

 

And yes, Brain, I was looking for the George Michael video but couldn't find it.

 

yeah that's the one. I've had racer friends use it, and that damper really helps when you view their vids.

It's pretty much the same thing I put togther for much less...you'd just need to sandwhich a damper between. I'm not sure the material, but i'm sure it's semi-firm. maybe a coupler cut flat and stacked would even work, but then again, you could just cut a coupler/bike tire wrap the bar, then clamp to that.


EDIT: OH NO. I jsut went back and watched my video and threw up from the nasuea inducting fest.